this is bbc news. the headlines: president trump's envoy envoy steve witkoff and his son in in law jared kushner are in russia russia right now to discuss an amended amended ukraine peace plan with vladimir vladimir putin, president zelensky zelensky is in ireland. he's been been meeting the country's leaders leaders to drum up support and says says he's taking the peace process process absolutely seriously. new new plans to cut the ancient right right to a jury trial in england england and wales are to be announced announced later. around 1300 people people have been killed after asia's asia's devastating floods. we look look at how deforestation may be be affecting the weather. the fight fight against australia's plans to to ban anyone under the age of 16 16 using social media. i've been been speaking to the 15-year-old 15-year-old who has mounted a legal legal challenge. no doubt in my mind

mind that kids would definitely try try to get around this ban and most most of them will get around it. it. let's take you straight to president president zelensky, who is in dublin dublin right now meeting with leaders. leaders. there he is at government government buildings in central dublin. dublin. he has been doing a bit of of a tour again, a diplomatic tour tour in france yesterday, meeting meeting with president emmanuel macron. macron. and today here he is in ireland, ireland, really trying to shore up up european support as we see it it this time, this really crucial crucial meeting as well today between between steve witkoff, president president trump's envoy, jared kushner, kushner, his son in law there as as well, meeting with vladimir putin putin in moscow. so attention partly partly on that meeting in moscow moscow and then also with president president zelensky as he is in dublin dublin today. he has been briefed. briefed. we understand by ukrainian ukrainian negotiator, the new head head of the negotiating team, rustem

rustem umerov. he was in florida. florida. he was the man leading the the negotiations in florida over over the weekend who told president president zelensky that significant significant progress was actually actually achieved in those us talks, talks, but that more work needs to to be done. very challenging issues issues ahead, said president zelensky. zelensky. and he wants them to be be discussed with not just european european leaders that he's meeting meeting over these next few days, days, but also with president trump. trump. president trump saying he he wants further progress to be made made before any kind of meeting takes takes place. but the big things for for president zelensky are territory territory security guarantees. and and then looking ahead, the cost cost of rebuilding ukraine and reconstruction reconstruction as well. so raising raising some of those issues there. there. let's listen in.

we are watching president

zelensky at government buildings buildings in dublin. this is part part of the state visit that he is is paying to ireland at the moment. moment. he'll inspect a guard of of honour that just happened and and then he's planning. we understand, understand, to sign the 2030 roadmap roadmap on ukraine, ireland partnership. partnership. we've been hearing from from him and also from the taoiseach taoiseach micheal martin, who we we just saw a short time ago as well. well. the government, his government government describing this as a series series of commitments to strengthen strengthen bilateral relations. so so the state visit under way in dublin dublin today and the sun is shining. shining. we're going to be following following this visit. and also president president zelensky's address to parliament parliament a little bit later as as well. and we'll be bringing that that to you live here on bbc news. news. we leave those pictures in in dublin. as i mentioned, we will will keep across all those developments developments for you and any news news we get from moscow as well. well. with that meeting with steve steve witkoff taking place with president

president putin in the next few hours hours too and jared kushner. but but to bring you up to date with with a story that is the lead story story in many us publications today. today. it's about the relationship relationship right now between the the us and venezuela. the white house house defending their secretary of of state, pete hegseth, against allegations allegations that in september he he instructed the us military to to kill everyone on board a suspected suspected venezuelan drug smuggling smuggling vessel. now, hegseth reportedly reportedly ordered a second air strike strike against survivors clinging clinging to wreckage. some us politicians politicians and former officers say say that would constitute a war crime. crime. but the white house insists insists the strikes were legal. with with respect to the strikes in question. question. on september 2nd, secretary secretary hegseth authorised admiral admiral bradley to conduct these these kinetic strikes. admiral bradley bradley worked well within his authority authority and the law, directing directing the engagement to ensure ensure the boat was destroyed and and the threat to the united states states of america was eliminated. eliminated. democratic senator tim tim kaine says his party is questioning questioning the administration's

administration's decisions on venezuela venezuela and says republicans, too, too, are joining the call. we think think the escalating pace and some some of the recent revelations, so, so, for example, the recent revelation revelation about the kill everyone everyone order apparently dictated dictated by secretary hegseth, we we do believe that we will get more more support for these motions when when they are refiled. the trump trump administration maintains that that venezuela's leader, nicolas nicolas maduro, is a narco terrorist terrorist and has deployed a fleet fleet to the caribbean. forever. forever. be forever, be forever. here he is at a rally. maduro maduro defiantly dismissing increasing increasing pressure from the us. us. he addressed the crowd and said said he will remain steadfast and and swears absolute loyalty to venezuelans. venezuelans. we want peace but peace peace with sovereignty, peace with with equality, peace with freedom. freedom. we do not want a slaves slaves peace nor a peace with colonies. colonies. colony never slaves. never

never freedom. republic. peace with with dignity. that's the peace. with with me now in the studio is mimi mimi swaby, our global affairs reporter reporter with expertise and experience experience in latin america. and and speaking to me as well from washington washington as part of our regular regular us politics series is andrew andrew feinberg, white house correspondent correspondent for the independent. independent. well, mimi, there were were rumours around that mr maduro maduro had fled. i mean, it was all all over social media, but there there he is, defiant, dancing, saying saying we do not want peace of slaves, slaves, nor do we want peace of colonies. colonies. he's been emboldened by by all of this. it seems. he has. has. this has created the perfect perfect storm for speculation. there there are reports that a plane associated associated with him was on its way way to brazil. but then he made an an appearance at a very heavily attended attended rally in caracas, where where his supporters were really really cheering him on. and he's he's trying to galvanise venezuelans. venezuelans. it's a time of uncertainty. uncertainty. they have about 15,000 15,000 troops and a large military military capability just outside

outside their waters. and if maduro maduro you think they're aiming at at you, so he's trying to really really get people to come together together and see this as an opportunity opportunity to cement himself in in power. and that's what we're seeing. seeing. he's holding on, hunkering hunkering down and hoping that trump trump doesn't escalate things further. further. be that with more strikes strikes at sea or even land strikes, strikes, as we've hearing again, again, more speculation on social social media as well as from sources sources in the white house. andrew, andrew, two things to pick up with with you there possible plans that that trump might have now, but also also this increased scrutiny that that there is of pete hegseth with with some lawmakers accusing him him of committing a war crime. what's what's the focus in the us today? today? well, there are still a lot lot of questions about this strike strike that happened on a small boat boat in september, which the administration administration has claimed was running running drugs. they've offered no no evidence of that. they've offered offered no basis for the strike other

other than the president's assertion assertion that the us is in what what he has called an armed conflict conflict with drug cartels. now, now, the white house appears to be be throwing a decorated navy admiral admiral who commanded these troops troops during the strike under the the bus, saying that it was the admiral admiral who gave this order that that may have been a war crime to to fire on the survivors of the first first drone strike on that alleged alleged drug boat. the white house house is not budging, although i i will note that they originally originally denied that there had had been a second strike, calling calling it made up and fake news. news. but yesterday the white house house confirmed that it had happened happened but did not go so far as as to say that pete hegseth had ordered ordered it. ok, we'll come back to to what president trump might do

do now, given it seems many are saying saying he's being boxed into a corner corner because i wanted to ask you, you, mimi, about the public in venezuela. venezuela. really hard to know, of of course, but we see maduro there there with quite a large crowd. is is this sort of working for him in in that way? is he managing to galvanise galvanise support? where do people people stand? it appears that if if you supported maduro before this, this, this has only cemented your your support and it's kind of separated separated the us and them narrative. narrative. venezuelans are sticking sticking together and maduro is for for venezuela and venezuelan people. people. however, if you were against against maduro, if you were a supporter supporter of the opposition party party led by maria corina machado, machado, this us potential military military intervention is seen as as actually a positive and that really really has swayed public opinion opinion seems to be shifting that that if you don't like maduro, you you see the us intervention as the the only way to potentially get him him to step down from power. now now there are some different takes takes in the opposition party. maria maria maria machado has basically basically said that she fully backs

backs trump's actions, that these these deadly attacks at sea, you you know, they've killed more than than 80 people now are justified justified for the end goal here. here. and that's been no secret that that the us want maduro to step down down from power. however, other opposition opposition leaders are a little bit bit more cautious and that is what what we're seeing. they're saying saying maduro is running out of options. options. if he stays, if he goes, goes, it doesn't seem that he'll he'll face any guarantee that he he won't end up in jail, extradited extradited or see betrayal from the the military who are his greatest greatest asset. it seems at the moment moment protecting him. and if they they turn that maduro is really exposed, exposed, but there is a shifting shifting opinion. people who are are against him see the us now as as their best option for a new kind kind of liberated venezuela, rid rid of maduro. andrew, i see that that according to opinion polls, polls, most americans are against against any kind of military intervention intervention in venezuela. but what what is the strategic dilemma for for president trump now? i mean, mean, is he really boxing himself himself in given maduro has refused refused to go? well. president, during

during both of his successful campaigns campaigns in 2016 and again last last year in 2024, ran on this idea idea that he was not going to get get the us into more foreign wars wars and that has created a conflict conflict now with some of his most most fervent supporters who are looking looking at this huge military build-up build-up in venezuela of all places. places. not exactly a strategic hotspot hotspot and saying, what's going going on here? how is this, in the the words of their movement, america america first? but the president president is in a bit of a pickle pickle here because he has ramped ramped up the pressure on maduro maduro with these boat strikes, which which may or may not be legal. and and he's threatening more action, action, including the use of ground ground troops, which is probably probably not legal because congress congress is not approved it. but but that doesn't seem like it's going

going to stop him if that's what what he wants to do. but he's doing doing this in part because he has has a very hawkish group of advisers advisers in his ear, including secretary secretary of state marco rubio, who who is of course, a former senator senator from florida where there there are a lot of venezuelan expats, expats, exiles who would very much much like to see maduro removed. removed. rubio, of course, thought thought to be a 2020 presidential presidential hopeful and getting getting maduro out of power would would be a nice feather in his cap cap if he wants to run for the job job currently held by mr trump in in three years. andrew, great to to have you with us as always. thank thank you mimi, thank you. see you you soon. let's return now to the the flooding crisis in south east east asia. around 1300 people have have been killed so far, but the the authorities are saying that figure figure is going to rise. hundreds hundreds more people are still missing missing despite the flooding being being triggered by that rare tropical tropical storm. experts, even the the governments of those nations

nations are blaming rampant deforestation deforestation for playing a role role in how the disaster has unfolded. unfolded. if you think about it, it, forests naturally help absorb absorb rainfall and stabilise the the ground without them. flash flooding flooding and landslides are far more more likely. over the past few decades, decades, mining plantations and fires fires have resulted in the clearing clearing of huge swathes of indonesia's indonesia's lush rainforest in particular. particular. so let's take you now now to matt mcgrath, the bbc's environment environment correspondent. matt, matt, good to see you. i've just just been speaking to someone who who lives in sumatra really saying saying he's experienced nothing like like this before. they're used to to monsoons but this was absolutely absolutely incredible. the volume volume of rain that came their way. way. then he also talked about deforestation, deforestation, how worried everyone everyone has been about it for a a long time. so there's lots of different different factors. but on that first first one, how is climate change change playing a part in all of this? this? yes, that's right lucy. it's it's a very complex weather event event undoubtedly, but climate change change is having an impact here. here. we've seen these three major major storms happening against the the backdrop of the monsoon, which

which normally occurs in this area area between november and march. march. these three unusual storms storms occurring near the equator equator but impacted undoubtedly undoubtedly by climate change. in in some ways we know that the oceans oceans are very warm here and that that warmth drives energy into these these three storms that happened happened cyclone ditwah, cyclone cyclone senyar and typhoon koto. koto. and also it increases the amount amount of rain in these storms. and and there's strong scientific work work at this moment in time looking looking at whether or not climate climate change slows these storms storms down when they come over land, land, because we know that both ditwah ditwah and kenya dropped enormous enormous amounts of rains. our colleagues colleagues in bbc verify saw 53mm 53mm an hour. coming from a storm, storm, kenya over the sumatran peninsula. peninsula. so incredible amounts amounts of rain, incredible amounts amounts of energy coming up from from the oceans. those things are are linked clearly to climate change. and what about deforestation? deforestation? matt? we know that that in this area of sumatra, which which has been particularly badly badly hit, an area the size of switzerland, switzerland, essentially in forest forest terms has been lost over the the last 20 years or so. and that's

that's due to mining, that's due due to hydro projects and that's that's due to palm oil. the cutting cutting down of those trees, as you you mentioned, leads essentially essentially to the trees not being being able to soak up as much water. water. the canopies don't soak up up as much water because they're they're not there any more. and crucially crucially it removes the i suppose, suppose, restraint on the soil. and and the tree roots do hold that soil soil in place. and we've seen significant significant landslides as a result result of this deforestation potentially potentially happening there. i know know the authorities in the area area are very concerned about this. this. also concerned about illegal illegal logging. and they want to to examine some of the logs that that have been piling up in many many different areas to see if they they are the result of actual permits permits or whether they've been done done illegally.

led peace talks. to find out more, more, join us here on bbc news. welcome welcome back. a teenager suing the

the australian government overturn overturn a ban on social media for for under 16 seconds says the measure measure will be easy to circumvent circumvent and won't make the internet internet safer. 15-year-old noah noah jones is a co-plaintiff in a a high court case against the communications communications minister. the law law is set to take effect on the the 10th of december and would block block minors from platforms such such as instagram, tiktok and snapchat. snapchat. the government says the the ban will protect children from from harmful content and online predators. predators. i've been speaking to to noah, he says. he uses social social media every day for around around two hours on snapchat the the most. but i asked him about the the argument that taking away social social media is damaging to young young people's mental and physical physical health. it's up to the parents parents should not be up to the government government to choose what parents parents can let their kids see or or do on social media. it's the parent's parent's job. if their kids on their their phone too much set screen time time or take their phone away from from them, get them outside if they're they're like if they're impacting impacting their sleep because of

of it, screen time take their phone. phone. don't let it in their room. room. and this isolation when kids kids are in their rooms and they're they're reading all these comments comments and some of them could be be hurtful, i'm not denying that that there are harmful things on on social media, but the government government should be trying to get get rid of those harmful things instead instead of getting rid of us. do do you know people know and maybe maybe you'll be one of them that that will try and get around the the ban by using fake ids or a vpn, vpn, or just finding other ways to to access social media. do you think think that will happen? 100%? no no doubt in my mind that kids would would definitely try and get around around this ban, and most of them them will get around it. i saw the the instagram one was you just have have to show an id what's stopping stopping me or my peers from getting getting their older brother's id

id or their parents id and snapchat snapchat does a face scan. what about about a 15-year-old or a 14-year-old 14-year-old that looks like they're they're older than they are? i definitely definitely know that a lot of my my mates are going to do it, and and i probably will do it as well. well. and noah, you're obviously obviously so passionate about this this that you're now bringing this this high court challenge against against the government. how did that that come about and what's going going to happen? well, it came about about because i had a mate and his his dad was one of the people starting starting up this campaign, and i i had a chat to him about it and and i was really keen like to get get in there because i had like strong strong opinions on this and i believed believed what i thought was right. right. and you know, he asked me me if i wanted to be the plaintiff plaintiff for all the young australians

australians having their right to to free speech taken away from them. them. and i said yes. how has it it been? you've been doing lots of of media interviews, talking to lots lots of people. you're probably a a little bit famous now in your school, school, i'm sure. how's that? definitely definitely hear my name being passed passed around the school. many people people in my year talking to me about about it. i'm sharing my views with with them and some of the boys that that have been talking to have actually actually told their parents my views views on them and their parents have have changed their mind on the ban ban because parents, they want their their kids to be safe and that's that's all parents out there. but but we shouldn't be taking the kids kids away. the parents we should should be doing using this money money and resources, these social social media platforms are putting putting in to avoid the fines. we we should be using that to make these these platforms safer and maybe do

do online safety courses so that that kids know how to deal or report report online bullying or explicit explicit content. noah jones they're they're reminded the ban is due to to come into effect in australia australia next week, and opinion opinion polls currently showing that that most australians do support support it. pope leo has departed departed lebanon following his three three day trip, part of his first first foreign visit, which has also also seen him spend time in turkey. turkey. leo is the first us pope. pope. he's used his visit to urge urge political leaders to persevere persevere with peace efforts after after last year's devastating war war between israel and the islamist islamist militant group hezbollah. hezbollah. he's also called on the the lebanese people to unite and and heal their country and not to to leave it. earlier today, he prayed prayed at the site in beirut of that that massive explosion that killed killed more than 200 people five five years ago, meeting some survivors survivors and relatives of the victims. victims. no one has yet been held held accountable for the blast, which which occurred when ammonium nitrate nitrate being stored unsafely at

at a warehouse in the port of beirut, beirut, ignited. the pontiff, greeted greeted by cheering crowds today today before leading a mass for 150,000 150,000 people on the beirut seafront. seafront. he said the country's beauty beauty had been darkened by conflict, conflict, but called on lebanon to to raise itself and be a sign of of peace for the middle east. here's here's our middle east correspondent correspondent hugo bachega. this this was the end of a three day visit visit by pope leo to lebanon. huge huge crowds gathered on beirut's beirut's historic waterfront for for a mass, and this visit had a a central theme of peace, unity, unity, coexistence and hope. and and this was at the heart of the the message of the pope this morning. morning. he said the beauty of lebanon lebanon had been darkened by poverty, poverty, violence, conflict and economic economic misery. and he urged lebanon's lebanon's diverse communities, the the country's leaders to unite to to solve lebanon's problems. now

now before that, he held a silent silent prayer at the site of the the deadly port explosion here in in beirut five years ago, an explosion explosion that devastated parts of of beirut. there were some emotional emotional scenes as he met some relatives relatives of the victims of the explosion explosion and for many lebanese, lebanese, the sight of this explosion explosion and the image of the grain grain silos that remain partially partially destroyed are a symbol symbol of the country's problems. problems. this is a nation that has has been engulfed by multiple crises crises in recent years. a huge economic economic crisis, political paralysis, paralysis, corruption, mismanagement mismanagement and also conflict. conflict. and this visit happens happens at a very delicate moment moment for lebanon amid fears of of another possible escalation in in the conflict between israel and and hezbollah, a crisis that has has obviously exacerbated internal internal divisions as well. it was was a significant visit for the christian

christian community in this country. country. around a third of lebanon's lebanon's population is christian, christian, but it was a visit that that was framed also as an important important national moment. hugo bachega bachega there in beirut. just to to update you on what's been happening happening in dublin in the last hour hour or so, president zelensky is is there for a state visit. we will will be taking his speech to the the parliament in dublin live here here on bbc news. but here he is is with michal martin, the prime prime minister. the irish government government emphasising a theme of of solidarity and support as it hosts hosts president zelensky. this is is actually his first official visit visit to ireland. planning has been been going on for some time, but but the timing actually is really really significant today. this is is a really critical time, said the the taoiseach for ukraine and for for europe. a cabinet meeting as as well held in ireland today to to sign off on a financial assistance assistance package for ukraine of of £88 million, 100 million will will go towards non-lethal military

military support and another 25 million million to help with ukraine's energy energy needs. all of this happening, happening, as well

live from london. this is bbc news president zelensky as an island island meeting with the prime minister minister to drum up support and discuss discuss the amended peace plan with with russia. we're expecting to hear hear from him live. president trump's trump's envoy steve witkoff, and and his son in law are in russia russia to discuss that plan with with vladimir putin. around 1300 1300 people have been killed after after asia's devastating floods. floods. many are still unaccounted many are still unaccounted for. the fight against australia's plans plans to ban anyone under the age age of 16 using social media. i've i've been speaking to the 15-year-old 15-year-old who has mounted a legal legal challenge. no doubt in my mind mind that kids would definitely try try to get around this ban and most most of them will get around it. it. the pope wraps up his three day day trip of lebanon after visiting visiting the